This invention relates in general to cooking devices and, in particular, to an apparatus which cooks meat or other food items without constant manual labor or attention.
More specifically, but without restriction to the particular use which is shown and described, this invention relates to an improved cooking apparatus capable of subjecting meat and other items to broiling, baking or smoking action without constant manual attention. The apparatus of the invention includes means to cause the food items being cooked to orbit around a heat source in an improved manner to accomplish not only rapid and effective cooking without manual turning, but enhance the flavor of the food because of its unique design. The invention of the application further provides means to effectively retain the heat within the cooking enclosure and collect grease from the cooking items in a safe and convenient manner.
It has long been popular to cook meat, such as ribs, steaks, chicken, and the like, over an open pit having a fire sustained by wood, charcoal and the like. In some instances, it is desirable to cover the meat, particularly ribs and chicken, with a sauce to enhance its flavor. In addition, particular woods, such as hickory and the like, have been utilized in the past to cook meats for producing a unique and distinctive flavor.
One current popular type of cooking in restaurants, carry out shops, and the like involves the so-called barbecuing of meat in the form of chicken, ribs or some other food. Commonly, barbecue ribs and chicken are cooked over an open fire in a pit by being supported by a rack. Such open fire cooking, particularly as it is used in the restaurants, kitchens or carry out shops, suffers from several disadvantages. One shortcoming of such cooking of meat lies in the fact that the ribs or chicken and the like must be constantly observed by an attendant and manually turned at different intervals to insure even cooking and prevent burning. The necessity for such manual attention has reduced the efficiency of the cooking operation for restaurants and carry out shops and further subjects the cook to uncomfortable work conditions, because of heat and smoke emanating from the fire and cooking meat. The smoke and heat from open pits or like equipment can interfere with the comfort within the restaurant or kitchen facilities and place an added workload on air conditioners and exhaust fans to waste the consumption of energy.
In addition to these deficiencies of the prior techniques of cooking meat in an open pit or similar area, no means has heretofore been provided in prior systems to collect the grease and juices which are present in meat cooking equipment. Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved cooking system in which all the aforementioned difficulties of the prior art and other problems are alleviated.